Armed with hammers and screwdrivers, 12-year-olds from South Mumbai schools lit up nearly 200 homes in the electricity-deprived villages of Navpada in Javhar taluka.
Armed with hammers and screwdrivers, 12-year-olds from South Mumbai schools lit up nearly 200 homes in the electricity-deprived villages of Navpada in Javhar taluka.
As part of the Light Up India Movement, students from BD Somani School, Cuffe Parade and Queen Mary School, Grant Road, along with HR College SIFE volunteers, went door-to-door for the last three to four weeks, to electrify the villages.
The students installed solar lights, taught villagers how to use them and spread awareness about solar energy.
“Often we teach students about lack of electricity in India’s rural hinterlands. But this trip gave an opportunity to the students to do their bit to help the villagers. The children talked to the villagers and built a rapport with them. They then set to work and installed the lighting,” said Grace Mathias, principal, Queen Mary School.
Apart from educating the villagers, students also raised funds for the project through contributions and donations. As it takes Rs4,000 to light up one household, the students had to put their marketing skills to work to raise funds.
“The students were able to raise a substantial amount within 25 days. Their marketing and financial planning skills, learnt in classrooms, were put into practice,” she added.
Jyotirmao Chatterji, president, SIFE Chirag Project said that SIFE volunteers went around schools in the city to involve students in their initiative.
Many other schools like Jamnabai Narsee School, Juhu, DY Patil International School, Nerul, and John Connon and Cathedral School, Fort will soon join the project. “This January, we will launch a student’s parliament, where school students can become members of the college house,” he added. Many other schools like Jamnabai Narsee School, Juhu, DY Patil International School, Nerul, and John Connon and Cathedral School, Fort too will join the project.
A brainchild of SIFE students of HR College, Project Chirag, aims to tackle rural problems focused around education, health and sanitation, environment and economic and social uplift.
The entire project is run solely by students. “To implement changes in a village, the most basic requirement is electricity. Hence, in the first phase, we are focusing on lighting up ‘dark’ villages, which have never had electricity, through solar lanterns. We are looking at electrifying nearly 1,000 homes in Rajasthan, Bangalore, Uttar Pradesh, etc,” said Chatterji.
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